Bathtub



L. E. RUSSELL Dec. 4, 1962 BATHTUB Filed Aug. 17, 1961 INVENTOR. LIONEL E. RUSSELL ATTORNEYS 3,066,316 Patented Dec. 4, 1952 see 3,066,316 BATHTUB V Lionel E. Russell, Claremore, Okla, assignor of fifty percent to R. W. Alberty, Tulsa, (Bkla. Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,060 1 Claim. (El. 4-173) This invention relates to improvements in bathtubs. More particularly, the invention relates to new and novel improvements in a bathtub adapting the bathtub to be used by invalids or handicapped people who experience dilficulty in getting into and out of a normal bathtub.

Many invalids, and other types of incapacitated people, experience considerable difficulty in the daily problem of bathing. This is particularily true of those who must depend upon a wheel chair for their mobility. Attendants at rest homes, hospitals, and so forth, find that the physical labor involved in transferring a patient from a wheel chair to an ordinary type bathtub is not only very tiresome, but the transfer of the patient from the wheel chair to the bathtub is also very dangerous to the patient.

Bathtubs are ordinarily constructed for comfort, having a smooth surface, and when this surface has water, and particularly water and soap, on it, it becomes very slippery. Many grave accidents happen every year to invalids and other incapacitated persons in the simple chore of bathing.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bathtub which will provide for maximum ease in transferring an invalid or other incapacitated persons fro: a wheel chair to a bathtub.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bathtub having a raised elevation to approximately seat level and including opening means whereby an incapacitated person is not required to step over any object to get into a bathtub or to step out of it after the bath is finished and where he tub will be at a height providing the maximum ease in transferring from a wheel chair to the bathtub.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bathtub of chair height having an opening therein and a recess in the support corresponding to the opening so that getting into and out of the bathtub for bathing will be no more difficult than sitting in a chair.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel means with a door in the bathtub to prevent dripping of water from around the door when the door is opened.

These and other objects and a better understanding of the invention may be had from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the bathtub of this invention showing the door closed as it will appear while the tub is being filled with water or while a person is bathing in it.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the bathtub of this invention showing the door of the tub opened.

This invention may be described as a bathtub. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the invention may be described as a bathtub providing increased safety for invalids comprising a base; a tub supported on said base, said tub having a door opening in one side thereof. said base having a height such that the bottom of said tub as supported on said base is approximately chair height; a door hinged to said tub closing said door opening of said tub when said door is closed and fully exposing said door opening when said door is opened; lock means aflixed to said door to releasably retain said door in a closed position; and expandable gasket means aifixed to the lower and vertical sides of said door adaptable to sealably engage said tub as said door is closed.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURE 1, the bathtub of this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 10. The bathtub 16 for the most part is of typical construction having vertical sides 11 providing a water receivingcavity or well 12 by means of which water is contained within the bathtub as drawn through spigot 14 controlled by valve 16.

The bathtub 10 of this invention departs from the typical bathtub arrangement in several ways. The most important of which is the provisions whereby the tub is raised by means of a support base 18. Base 18 elevates the bottom 19 of the bathtub 10 to a height typically that of an ordinary chair. By the provision of base 18 and the elevation of bathtub 10, the bottom 19 of the tub is raised to chair height to facilitate the entrance and exit of invalids and other incapacitated persons without requiring them to exercise the agility necessary to step into a tub and to seat themselves.

To provide entrance to bathtub ltl, a door Zil is hinged to the tub lil adaptable to close or expose a door opening 21 formed in one of the vertical sides 11 of the bathtub ill. Recessed automobile type hinges 22 (see FIGURE 2) pivotably support door Zil. To keep the door closed while Water is in the well 12, a lock arrangement is provided indicated generally by the numeral 24.

Although lock 24 may be of a variety of configurations, the optimum embodiment is deemed to include a handle 26 extending upwardly from a pivot 2% on door 2b in a manner whereby the user of the tub 1i) may easily unlock the tub to open the door 20 when he wishes to exit from the tub. Handle 26 is provided with a lever 30 which extends to a notched sliding bolt 32 so that when handle 26 is moved parallel to the side of the door 20, belt 32 is moved upwardly and downwardly. Angular clips 34 are affixed to the side of the tub It to receive the notched sliding bolt 32 and thereby to hold door 26 in a closed position.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the tub 1%} is shown with door 20 in an opened position. One of the novel features of this invention is the provision in base 18 of a recessed area 36 corresponding to the area of door 20 so that when door 20 is opened, as is shown in FIGURE 2, there is no hindrance to a person seated in the tub from swinging his feet from within the tub out so that they readily engage the floor.

Before a user of the bathtub 10 exits from the tub, he

' will naturally drain all the water from the: tub. Even though all of the water is drained, there remains the problem of a small quantity of water which collects around the door 21}, dripping onto the floor. To obviate this disagreeable problem, a sponge rubber gasket 38 is mounted either on the tub 10 or around door 29 to seal the lower and vertical sides of door 20 when it is in a closed position. When the door 20 is opened, the sponge rubber gasket 38 which has been compressed while the door is in a closed position, expands and any water around the door 20 which would have a tendency to run down on the floor is caught and absorbed in the expanding sponge rubber gasket 38.

Application When using the bathtub 10 of this invention, which is anticipated will ordinarily be by invalids and other types of incapacitated persons, handle 26 is moved rearwardly, releasing sliding bolt 32 from engagement with angular clips 34 and door 20 is opened. It can be seen that by the novel provisions of this invention, a wheel chair may be placed immediately adjacent the bathtub 10, and with door Zll, only the minimum amount of physical. exertion is required by the user, or his attendants, to move himself from the position on the wheel chair into tub 19. After sitting on the opened bottom 19 of the tub 10, the user merely swings his feet into the tub. The door 26 is then closed and handle 26 moved forwardly, locking aoeaa 1e bolt 32 against angular clips 34. Closing door 2% cornpresses sponge rubber gasket 38 against the tub M to seal the door 2% against any possibility of leakage.

By manipulating valves 16, Water, through spigot 14, may then fill the tub so that the patient may bathe himself or be bathed.

After the bath is finished, the tub 10 is drained and when the user is ready to exit from the tub, handle 26 is merely moved rearwardly, releasing the lock 24 and door 20 is opened. Any small quantity of water which accumulates around the door 2% and which would have a tendency to flow out when the door 24) is opened will be caught and absorbed by the expanding sponge rubber gasket 38 as the door opens. With the door opened, the user may then swing his feet outwardly and in a normal sitting position. This position permits him to have his feet firmly on the floor without requiring him to step over and out of a normal slippery bathtub. The user is never required to support himself against the slippery surface of the bathtub. If the user is a wheel chair patient, after finishing his bath he is sitting at wheel chair height. A wheel chair may be placed adjacent the tub and the patient may be readily moved back into the Wheel chair. If the user is ambulatory, he finds himself, after finishing his bath, in no more dangerous position than merely sitting in a chair.

Others have provided bathtubs having doors therein including fairly complicated arrangements of preventing the door from opening before the water is drained. The novelties of this invention include the provision of a base 18' with a recessed area 36 corresponding to door 20 so that the bottom of the tub 10 is always at a chair height to provide maximum ease in transferring the user in and out of the bathtub. Another advantage of this invention includes the provision of sponge rubber gasket 38 which absorbs and collects any water which may tend to run 4 out of the tub when the door is opened. Although the improvements expressed in this disclosure are not complex, these improvements have heretofore not been suggested and the bathtub as shown provides many advantages over existing type of bathtubs. Widespread use of this invention will prevent a large number of serious injuries which occur each year in rest homes and hospitals.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifested that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

A bathtub providing increased safety for invalids comprising;

a chair height base;

a tub supported on said base, said tub having a door opening in one side thereof;

a door hinged to said tub closing said door opening of said tub when said door is closed and fully exposing said door opening when said door is opened;

lock means affixed to said door to releasably retain said door in a closed position;

expansible gasket means affixed to the lower and vertical sides of said door adaptable to sealably engage said tub as said door is closed;

and a recessed area formed in said base beneath said door opening in said tub as said tub is positioned on said base adaptable to facilitate entrance and exit from said tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

